Renewable gas

Gas is not often mentioned in the same bracket as renewable energy but that could all change, as energy providers look to address the issue of surplus renewable power and storage problems.

Synthetic and hydrogen gas can be produced using energy through the innovative ‘power-to-gas’ process. As renewable capacity grows and the issue of how to store surplus power persists, turning excess energy into gas is becoming a viable alternative.

The idea of renewable gas is relatively new and the average European citizen would be forgiven for not knowing what it entails. Industry and institutional representatives are split over how much people actually need to understand.

The excess wind and solar electricity generated at times of oversupply could be used more systematically to produce synthetic gas, providing a convenient way of storing renewable energy that would otherwise be lost. The potential is huge, and can be used to heat homes during winter, argues Beate Raabe.

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